The Pune police have asked the bank authorities to follow the January 30, 2014, deadline for installing CCTV cameras at all their ATM centres and ensure deployment of security guards 24 x7.

After a meeting with RBI officials, police and government officers earlier this month, the minister of state for home affairs Satej Patil had said that all banks have been asked to install properly functioning CCTVs covering the area inside and outside their ATM centres by January 30, 2014.

The meeting was called in the wake of brutal attack on a woman at an ATM centre in Bangalore in November. During the meeting, it was reportedly decided that RBI will come up with a a comprehensive circular for security of ATM centres in the state.

DCP (cyber) Sanjay Shinde said, “We too had held a meeting with the bank officials and private security agencies last month to sensitise them about the security and safeguard of ATMs. Soon, we would review what banks have done.” Many bankers had raised questions about the delay in issuing of gun licences for security guards. “We will ensure there is no delay. We have a panel comprising senior officers that take quick decisions on issuing of gun licences,” Shinde added.

He also urged the banks to take up modern technology like “central monitoring systems” for keeping a close watch on the ATM centres. “The technology provides vibration censors, alarms along with CCTV covers to several ATM centres, which can be monitored from a control room. Some banks are already in process of testing this technology. We hope such moden techniques would strengthen security at ATM centres,” he said. Pune police would be compiling a data of approximate number of ATM centres in the city. Last month, Comissioner Gulabrao Pol had said, “The banks should not pass this responsibility on police or their customers.”